Shipping case



W. T. STEARN SHIPPING CASE N wakua .,lll J ,NUANUQ vll/ PATIQIQI,

Jan. 23, E951 Filed oct. 9; 194s .BY ATTOR N EY S.

w. T. STEARN SHIPPING CASE Jan. 239 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

WILLIAM T. 5T EARN.

' ATTORNEYS.

Filed Oct. 9, 1946 Patented Jan. 23, 1951 SHIPPING CASE William 'E'. Stearn, Cumberland, Md., assignor t0 Celanese Corporation of America, a corporation of Delaware Application October 9, 1946, Serial No. 702,140

rlhis invention relates to a novel shipping case for textile products, and relates more particularly to a novel shipping case for transporting yarn packages such as cones, cheeses, and bobbns, or bolts of fabric.

An object of this invention is the provision of a novel shipping case adapted for transporting cones of yarn which is so devised that by simple adjustment it may be converted into a shipping case suitable for transporting bolts of fabric.

Other objects of this invention, together with certain details of construction and combination of parts, will appear from the following detailed description.

According to this invention, there is provided a shipping case comprising two substantially similar compartments connected by hinges and provided with means for locking them together. The interior of the compartments are provided with supports for holding cones of yarn. Such supports may be pivotally mounted so that when arranged to receive cones of yarn they are at an angle .of 90 to the compartment wall and, when the cones of yarn are removed, turning the case on its opposite end causes the supports to rotate and fold iiush with the wall of the compartment. Thus, there is formed a relatively smooth inner wall surface in each compartment for the reception of bolts of fabric.

In the drawings wherein the preferred embodiments of my invention are shown,

Figure 1 is an isometric View of a shipping case of my invention, showing the same in upright position and open, ready to receive cones of yarn,

Figure 2 is a iront elevational view of a lled and closed shipping case ready for shipment, partially cut away to show the interior arrangement thereof,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary View, on an enlarged scale, showing a yarn package in a position on a support in the shipping case shown in Figure l, a support ready to receive a yarn package and a support rotated into position against the case well,

Figure 4 is a view taken along line 1%-4 in Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a front elevational view of a modied form of shipping case, partially filled with yarn packages. in which the supports are permanently fixed with respect to the case walls,

Figure 6 is a detail view, on an enlarged scale. showing a yarn package on a fixed support, and

Figure 7 is a detail View, on an enlarged scale, showing a yarn package on a iixed support at right angles to the support shown in Figure 6..

8 Ciairns. (Ci. 20S- 65) Like reference numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings for a detailed description of my invention, reference numeral 8 indicates generally the shipping case which is comprised of two compartments 9 hinged at IE?. While the case may be made of any suitable material, it is preferably made of aluminum or magnesium to reduce the weight thereof without any substantial sacriee of strength. The compartments may be fabricated with a rib-like construction 'to strengthen the same. The interior of the compartments have a rib ii and channel i2 construction. In Figure 1, the supports i3 for the yarn packages, comprising substantially triangular plates, are each pivotally mounted by means of a lug Ili journaled in a bracket I5. When rotated into inoperative position, as shown at the bottom of each of Figures 3 and 4, the supports I3 are substantially completely Within the channel i 2 thus presenting with ribs II a smooth inner case wall surface for receiving fabric or other textile materials. The bracket is provided with integral ears I6 which act as stops to limit the movement of supports i3 to a position substantially to the case wall.

In iilling the case with yarn packages, the case is placed upright in the position shown in Figure l which will automatically cause the supports I3 to assume a position 90 to the case wall. The yarn packages, in this case cones of yarn I'I, are then placed rmly on supports I3. A sheet of cardboard or other suitable material I8 is placed between the noses I9 of the yarn packages prior to closing of the case to prevent damage to said noses. Upon removal of the yarn packages from the case at the destination, the case is inverted, i. e. turned on its opposite end, thus causing the supports I3 to fold into channels I2 to present a smooth inner wall for the reception of fabric and similar materials. Suitable locking means, generally indicated by reference numeral 2), are provided to maintain the case closed for shipment. Checks 2| are also provided to maintain the compartments in open position for loading and unloading the yarn packages. As is well known, these cheeks make frictional contact with the door or other supporting structure to prevent the compartments from closing.

In Figures 5, 6 and 7, there is shown a modified form of shipping case in which the supports 22 are also substantially triangular in form and have an integral bracket 23 which is fixed in any suitable manner to the Wall of channel i2. While the case of this type may also be employed for shipping bolts of fabric by covering the supports with a suitable mat, it is primarily intended for the shipment of yarn packages.

Prior to the instant invention, the individual cones of yarn were wrapped in wax paper and packed in paper cartons for shipment, The shipping cases of my invention may be made quite airtight eliminating the necessitxr of wrapping the individual cones of yarn in wax paper, and also the use of paper cartons.

It is to be understood that the foregoing detailed description is given merely by way of illustration and that many variations may be made therein without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A shipping case comprising a compartment having an inner surface construction comprising alternate at ribs co-planar with each other and channels, and yarn package supporting plates mounted in said channels and in operative position extending beyond the plane of said ribs.

2. A shipping case comprising a compartment having an inner surface construction comprising alternate flat ribs co-planar with each other and channels, and yarn package supporting plates pivotally mounted in said channels and in operative position extending beyond the plane of said ribs.

3. A shipping case comprising a compartment having an innel` surface construction comprising alternate ribs and channels, and yarn package supporting plates pivotally mounted in said channels, the construction and arrangement being such that when the pivoted supporting plates are folded against the wall of the `compartment they form with the ribs a substantially smooth surface.

4. A shipping case comprising two compartments hinged together, each compartment having an inner surface construction comprising alternate ribs and channels, and yarn package supporting plates mounted in said channels.

5. A shipping case comprising two compartments hinged together, each compartment having an inner surface construction comprising alternate ribs and channels, and yarn package supporting plates pivotally mounted in said channels.

6. A shipping case comprising two compartments hinged together, each compartment having an inner surface construction comprising alternate ribs and channels, and yarn package supporting plates pivotally mounted in said channels, the construction and arrangement being such that when the pivoted supporting plates are folded against the wall of the compartment they form with the ribs a substantially smooth surface.

7. A shipping case comprising two compartments hinged together, and made from a metal selected from the group consisting of aluminum and magnesium, each compartment having an inner surface construction comprising alternate ribs and channels, and yarn package supporting plates pivotally mounted in said channels, the construction and arrangement being such that when the pivoted supporting plates are folded against the wall of the compartment they form with the ribs a substantially smooth surface.

8. A shipping case comprising a compartment having an inner surface construction comprising alternate ribs and channels, yarn package supporting plates pivotally mounted in said channels, and means for locking the compartments together to form a closed shipping case.

WILLIAM T. STEARN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 459,587 Leech Sept. l5, 1891 896,131 Marsh Aug. 18, 1908 992,006 Kubersky et a1 May 9, 1911 1,016,148 Henicke Jan. 30, 1912 2,063,319 Lee Dec. 8, 1936 2,147,510 Amiek Feb. 14, 1939 

